A new report by three respected jurists argues that photographic evidence provided by a defector from the Syrian police proves systematic torture and summary execution of thousands of prisoners by the Baath regime headed by Bashar al-Assad.

The Syrian civil war has given rise to a wave of kidnappings and ransoms as desperate members of the opposition movement struggle to support themselves and their cause, Patrick Cockburn writes at The Independent.

The 2-year-old conflict between the Syrian government and its opposition that has killed 40,000 civilians and threatens to destabilize the Middle East was escalated in recent days when forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad fired Soviet-era Scud missiles at rebel fighters, American officials said Wednesday.

In this edition of Truthdig Radio in association with KPFK: Ms. magazine Executive Editor Kathy Spillar on Todd Akin and friends; Pussy Riot; Syria; keeping native languages alive; and the enduring impact of war on women.

In this edition of Truthdig Radio in association with KPFK: Ms. magazine Executive Editor Kathy Spillar on Todd Akin and friends; Pussy Riot; keeping native languages alive; and the enduring impact of war on women.

President Barack Obama earlier this year secretly authorized the CIA and other U.S. agencies to support Syrian rebels in their fight against President Bashar al-Assad, anonymous sources have told Reuters.

Fighters in the Free Syrian Army are optimistic they will shake their nation loose from Bashar al-Assad’s rule. But what will their cities, towns and villages look like when their struggle is over? Some are looking to the West for help rebuilding their country.